OLYMPIC LIFE LESSONS

OLYMPIC LIFE LESSONS

The Olympic games feature thousands of athletes competing in a wide variety of games every fourth year.  More than 200 nations participate.  The ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD.  These games were revived in 1894 to the present.

The 1st century Scriptures use these games to illustrate our own life’s race and fight.  They picture an Olympic theater filled with Old Testament Heroes of Faith (Hebrews 11:4-32).  They are looking down from the stadium encouraging us to run life’s race.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1,2).  Faith in Jesus will help us lay aside every hindrance to the endurance we need

to win our race to eternal life.

Another Scripture also describes life as a race.  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (I Corinthians 9:24-27).  This tells us that not everyone wins the race. Only the runner who trains for the race and practices efficient use of his legs and arms wins the prize.  This means we should not get side-tracked by things of lesser importance.  We must abide by the rules of the game. Only that which has eternal consequences must take priority in our life.

Scriptures not only describe life as a race but also as a fight. “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies one made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.  Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith” (I Timothy 1:18).  Finally, may we be able to say these good words of victory:  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (II Timothy 4:7,8).                                                       -- prepared by Tom Atkinson